I Volunteer as Tribute
by JenniMac
Summary: Brilliance has volunteered for the 57th Hunger Games. She's trained her entire life for this moment but as the Games come closer she learns more about her District and her family that might make her question whether or not she wants to become a Victor. -First Hunger Games Fic- PLEASE REVIEW!


I Volunteer as Tribute

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Carefully wrapping my auburn hair around a thick curling iron. I had to look perfect today. My make-up, hair, clothes, all had to be perfect today. I leaned in closer to the mirror and slowly outlined my sapphire colored eyes with a matching eye pencil. I heard the bathroom door creak open and the sound of bare feet on tiled floor.

"Excited? Nervous? Scared?" Diamond asked from behind me.

"A lethal combo of all three," I said and we both started laughing.

Diamond was as beautiful as her name. Her dark hair and piercing blue eyes set her apart from the others at the Victor's Academy. She was fantastic with a sword and extremely likeable. Today, for the Reaping, she was wearing a deep purple dress with jeweled straps and hemline and silver satin flats.

She was the perfect tribute. But, yesterday was the Pre-Games and I beat out her along with the two other 18 year old girls at the Academy. Now I was going to have my moment. I was going to be the District One Female Tribute for the 57th Annual Hunger Games.

The Pre-Games is held between all of the 18 year olds at the Academy. For 13 years, we had been ruthlessly training in combat, survival, and "likeability".

"I wonder what the arena will look like." Diamond picked up a smaller curling iron and started fixing my hair while we gossiped about the Games as we so often did.

"I hope it's not too cold. I hate cold." I slowly swiped on a rich pink lipstick.

Once Diamond had finished curling my hair she picked up a handful of gold bobby pins and pinned up a few small curls out of my face finished off with a large gold barrette. "I can't wait to see what your Tribute Parade costumes will look like! Last year's were so fantastic I can't imagine how they could possibly top it!"

I stepped back from the mirror and looked at my Reaping ensemble. My mother had given me a necklace as my token with a secret vial of deadly poison hidden within the gold pendant. There was a possibility that it would be confiscated by the game makers but there was no harm in trying to sneak it into the arena.

My dress was dark pink with a few layers of golden tulle to make the skirt full. Blush pink jewels on a metal golden belt were wrapped around my waist and my heels were covered in gold glitter. I looked exactly like a District 1 future Tribute should look. Not quite as over the top as the citizens of the Capitol but definitely showed that I was from a luxury district. Anyone who chose to "dress down" today would be shunned.

Everyone gathered in the central plaza for the Reaping. My heels clicked on the cobblestoned street. The TV cameras were already set up and Kresta Quinn was standing on the stage. She had been the District One escort for the past 10 years.

I stood in line with the other twelve through eighteen year olds. A peacekeeper pricked my finger and then I went to the main area in front of the stage to stand and wait to volunteer. I looked over at the boys and found Copper who would be volunteering as the male tribute. He wasn't looking around. He just stared ahead at the stage. He never said much but since we were little most of us knew that it would be Copper. He wasn't huge or intimidating-looking. But, he was smart, fast, and most importantly, ruthless.

Kresta stood up on stage and called for attention. "Welcome, District One, Happy Hunger Games. One more exciting year. Can I please have the previous District One victors join me on stage?" The ten living victors made their way on stage. The most recent, Rouge, had won two years before. She and my brother, Glory who had won eight years ago, would be our mentors.

"Now," Kresta said, "Let's get to the selection. First the boys." The selection was merely a formality. Kresta knew this but she still had to pull a name from the glass bowl. Since few citizens took tessera there were much fewer names in the bowls on stage than there were in the poorer districts.

My mind started racing and I didn't even hear the name that she called and I didn't hear Copper volunteer but when he stood up on the stage and told Kresta his name my mind snapped back to present.

"Now the girls." Kresta quickly pulled a slip of paper from the bowl containing the girl names. She took a breath and read, "Luxe Fleet." The world seemed to stop for a moment. I knew Luxe. She was almost thirteen and a promising student in the Academy. If we lived in a different district, she would have to compete and she would almost certainly die. Maybe she would get the opportunity to volunteer in six years but not today. Today was my day.

I stepped from the throng of other girls and proudly said, "I volunteer as tribute."

"Very well," I heard Kresta say as two peacekeepers escorted me to the stage. I looked up at the massive television screens as the cameras zoomed in on my face. I tucked a stray curl behind my ear.

"What's your name?" Kresta asked me.

"Brilliance Young." I said clearly into the microphone.

"Well, Copper, Brilliance, shake hands, and may the odds be ever in your favor." Copper reached out his hand and I politely shook it.

We were quickly shuffled into the building behind the stage. I had never been inside this building. It was almost exclusively used to host tributes and victors.

Peacekeepers took me to a room and I waited for my family to come say good bye.

The door opened and my parents and Glory walked in.

"Congratulations!" My mother said and wrapped me in a hug. I hardly remember saying goodbye to Glory when he volunteered but I very clearly remembered the previous year when we all congratulated and said goodbye to my sister, Jade and I very clearly remember watching a boy from District Two decapitate her once there were only three left. He lost to a girl from Six when she literally stabbed him in the back.

"We're so proud of you!" My father said.

"I can't wait to see what they dress you in for the Parade. Jade looked so stunning last year at the Parade and in her interview. I'm sure that you will look just as amazing." My mom continued to talk but I stopped listening. It was too painful, too reminiscent. I remember the last thing that Jade promised to me was that she would try not to be too tough of a mentor when I volunteered. Now here I was, ready to fight, ready to win, but something just didn't feel right.

"Times up," a peacekeeper said from the doorway.

"We love you." My parents hugged me one more time. "And don't forget to have fun and remember to make us and District One proud!"

My brother, Glory, paused for a moment and then leaned in close to whisper something that no one else would hear. "I was hoping that you would lose the pre-Games." Then he left without another word. I wanted to say something to him but knew that we would meet back up on the train to the Capitol. Until then I could just smooth out my dress, sit down, and wait.


End file.
